Skaia Comics
by thisisluci-fer
Summary: Everyone's life changes when Dave Strider finds a new job in a comic shop.
1. Prologue

All I could do was stand there. I stared down at the ground where the small grave was set. It would have been a perfect time to rain, but no. Irony was always a mysterious force and at that moment it was beautiful out. The bright blue sky was filled with clouds, the sun was shining, flowers were in bloom. No breeze, everything was still. The cemetery was filled with names and memories, statues of angels watched me as I watched the stone. The only disturbance here was the recently patched grass and the thoughts in my mind.

"I-I'm sorry," I tried to keep my voice from wavering, tried to keep everything inside of me, tried to keep my cool facade.

And then I broke. Tears streamed down my face, staining the red tux I had worn just to visit my friend. Snot ran from my nose as I fell to my knees. My pants stained by the grass and dirt beneath me. "You didn't deserve this," I choked out. My breath was ragged as I continued to cry. The stems of the flowers I brought became crumpled as my knuckles turned white. Realizing I had hurt them, the flowers, my apology, I quickly released them. The poor things laid on the ground. They looked so sad. Carefully, I picked them up, tears and mucous running down my face, I set them on the grave stone.

"I'm sorry," I said as I wiped my eyes behind my shades. My speech was slightly hindered by the lump in my throat trying to cease my weeping.

"I'm so, so sorry. No one deserved this. Especially not you."

I felt guilty. So, so guilty. I knew I had done nothing wrong, had done nothing to cause this tragedy. It had just happened. I should have expected it, we all should have. But we didn't.

We didn't think this would actually happen.


	2. The Good News

"What?" My voice almost cracked as I questioned the boy standing in front of me.

"Daveanewpositionopenedupatth estorecausedocfiredwellactua llyKarkatfiredbutdoesitmatte r?AnywaysEquiusgotfiredcausehe keptbreakingsomanystandsandr ippingbooksandhewasgonnagoin terviewforajobatthegymandsot here'sanewjobandyou'regonnagetit!" The little shit's words tumbled out rapidly. How did he even talk at a regular speed with those buckteeth of his?

"John. What the hell are you saying? I don't have time for you to keep repeating yourself." I glanced at my phone's clock. Shit, my break was almost over. Five minutes.

My best friend sighed. "Dave you need to listen to meee," he whined.

"The just tell me at a normal pace, Egberttt" I whined back, mocking him.

"Ugh, that takes forverrr,"

"John stop whining or I'm gonna hit you."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Just tell me bro."

"Fine."

"John I will kick your ass so hard if so say fine one more time," I threatened. Four minutes.

"Fi-," I glared.

"_Okay_," John rolled his eyes. "A new position at the store opened up."

"Seriously?" This was good news. Whatever John talked about quickly was either good or bad. This time it was good.

"Yes!" my dark-haired friend smiled. His goofy teeth on display for everyone to see. "_Also_,"

My eyes widened. "There's an also?"

"Also you get to wear your shades!"

"Dude. Don't even joke."

"I'm not! I already asked Karkat and Doc and they both said it was cool!"

"Ohman!" The store I worked at (a completely shitty Wal-Mart knockoff called Floor-Mart. I didn't even understand. _Why_?) had a very strict no-accessories policy. They didn't understand when I told them my shades weren't an accessory, that they were my _thing_. Things are very important to have with you at most, if not all, times.

"Yes!"

"Wow, sweet man. I'll be sure to quit on Friday," I said, glancing once again. Three minutes.

"Uh," John now looked away.

"What do you mean 'uh'?" I demanded.

"Well," John then cringed, possibly preparing himself to be hit. "You see, Doc wants to interview you right at 4:13,"

"What the fuck is wrong with that guy?" I asked, thinking of the eccentric white-haired and pale man who ran the comic book store in our town. He had an odd fixation on that number and others. A kind man, but one you would think had just sauntered out of the old folks home.

"I-I don't know!"

I sighed. "Well, my shift ends at 4. My break ends in two minutes and now I have to worry about getting to the store across town in thirteen minutes for the next two hours."

"Sorry man,"

"Its fine I guess, but why do I need to get there today? I don't work _tomorrow,_"

"People are already eying your spot." John explained. "Especially Nepeta and Eridan."

"Eridan? Why would that douche bag want to work there?"

"I don't know. I think he wants to impress Feferi. Be all down-to-Earth or something dumb like that."

"Ugh, well then." One minute. "Look man, meet me at the store later. I'll try to get there as fast as I can."

"Okay! Good luck!" And with those words, my crazy ass friend waltzed out the doors.

Just on time. Zero minutes left of my break. "David! Your break's over!" my boss called just as I was putting the required puke-yellow vest back on.

"I know." I sighed as I opened the door from the break room into the large warehouse and returned to register number three.


	3. Aradia

Chapter 2, Aradia

I checked and made sure I had enough receipt paper in the machine for the busy two hours ahead of me (meaning twenty people).

"So," A cheery yet bored voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned my head to see my second best friend Aradia Megido grinning at me. "What were you and Egbert doing in the break room together?"

"Ew," I stuck my tongue out. "He had some news." I went back to setting up my station, which was really just stealing a stool from the station next to me.

"Seriously," Aradia said, leaning over my conveyor belt. Her long red hair falling around her face.

I poked her button nose. "Apparently Equius got fired."

"Really?" Her eyebrow quirked up. "Do tell,"

I made a noise. "Apparently he broke too many things. He was gonna do an interview for the gym anyways."

"Oh," She stuck her tongue out. "I thought he, like, killed a nerd on accident. Or maybe stole all the Pony Adventures comics,"

"They have those?"

"Pfft, no!" Aradia laughed. "But what if they_ did_?"

"Oh my God that'd be ridiculous. Anyways, I have an interview with Doc at 4:13."

"An interview already?"

"People are eyein' my job."

"But, don't you get off at 4?"

"That's my problem." I stated.

"Hm," Aradia considered this for a moment. While she thought I considered how her vest and hair clashed. Ew. Boss really needed to find a new color. That yellow complimented nobody.

"You wanna borrow my moped?" Aradia asked, breaking the silence.

"Your moped? How're you gonna get home?"

"Oh, Sollux'll pick me up."

"Ah, yes, the 'lithp' guy. How's that going?"

"Wonderful!" I luckily saw the begginings of a rant on how great Aradia's new 'bf' was so I went back to the moped topic.

"Wait, the moped. Isn't it, like, blue, purple, and pink?"

"Yep!" She grinned.

"And the helmet's pink, right?"

"Of course!"

I turned my attention to the small clock on the machine. Two oh five. "Okay. It'll be ironic."

My friend's face went slack. "You have been brainwashed."

"I'll look so manly on that moped. That helmet and my aviators will go so well together, I'll get all the ladies."

"Or dudes," She murmured.

"What was that?" I inquired.

"Nothing, don't worry, just agreeing with your sexuality."

"_I'll_ agree with _your_ sexuality," I threatened.

"Ooh, can we do it in the break room like you and John?" she mocked as she went back to her station a few feet from mine.

"Pssh, you wish. We're gonna do it in the dumpster out back."

"Ooh, gettin' down and dir-tay!"

"_Ahem_," a disapproving voice interrupted out banter. We found a little elderly couple ready to check out in Aradia's lane. The small woman was glaring at the two of us. I winked at her.

"Hello and welcome to Floor-mart! We hope your purchase didn't _floor_ you!" Aradia broke into the required greeting with a smile.

The woman rolled her eyes as her husband, just as tiny and wrinkled, kept a straight face. A few minutes later as they left with their prune juice, the man turned around gave us a thumbs-up and winked.

"Oh my God," Aradia gasped as she cackled with laughter. I joined her and we spent the next twenty minutes giggling like freaks.

(Aradia/Dave undertones but I just really like them as best friends [who doesn't banter with their befsies?] and Aradia having a moped? Totes. Will be edited soon, my friend is not available but I got excited about this chapter since the old guy yes okay goodbye friends)


	4. Across Town

Chapter 3, Across Town

As soon as the analog on my register hit 4:00 I immediately threw off my horrific vest, pulled my shades from my pocket to shove them on, jumped over my conveyor to make a break for it.

"Smooth," Aradia commented on my sweet hurdling skills as she threw me her keys. "The helmet's on the handles!" She called out as I sped towards Floor-Mart's automatic doors.

My red Converse hit the asphalt in a beat. _Tick tock tick tock_, almost.

No time to think of that though. I was, well, running out of time.

Slowing down was impossible, I was a speeding bullet of gung ho. I was a chiller version of The Flash.

I was going to be late if I couldn't get the moped started.

I sat on the vehicle, helmet secured, glasses in place, with the key refusing to start it up.

"C'mon, c'mon," I grumbled. "Shit, _work_."

After a few wasted seconds of monotonous key flicking, the scooter turned on. Quickly, I revved it, turned off the brakes, and began my radical time race across town.

I interlaced between cars like an expert weaver, making a hardcore basket composed of my righteous speeding patterns. A symphony of horns and curses spewed in my wake as I stayed afloat and rode the wave of speed.

My time was going down fast and I was only halfway there.

Skaia Comics was located on the side of the town where a shopping mall had once been, then was shut down. The ruins of the mall made for a teenage and hobo shenanigans and frolicsomeness hotspot. It also made for great business to the surrounding shops.

Who cares about comics more than hobos and teenagers? Probably lonely middle aged people with mid-life crises, but that's beside the point.

SC was one of the 20 highest grossing assorted stores and boutiques in our rinky-dink town. There were 25 in all, but that's also juxtapositional to the point.

I was getting closer. My illegal speeding and running of stop signs most likely added a few ladies to my fan club. Every girl loves a bad boy on his best girl friend's moped. My pink helmet was irresistible to the fine ladies of Skaia. I was tall, dark, and handsome.

Finally, after crafting luscious coatings of burned rubber on several roads, I saw the bright colors of the small shop approaching me.

I was right on time.

(Sorry for how short it is! I've been busy. Aughkfjg, but don't worry, this'll pick up. Soon.)

(Also: Dave actually means "Tall, **dork**, and handsome." Typos, y'know. Or denial. Probably denial.)


End file.
